Zero Latency is a relatively new arrival here in Ireland who offer different VR packages for customers to enjoy. Located in the Industrial park in Sandyford, Zero Latency offers an impressive VR service and guarantees fun for all!
Myself and a group of friends booked in for the Zombie package known as ‘Outbreak Origins’ which is a 3o min shoot em up with and it really doesn’t disappoint!
The Gear
With each of us donning a backpack, a Vr helmet and a set of headphones with built in mic….you really got the sense of getting suited and booted before the mission. The gear was weighty but not uncomfortable and added to the immersion making you feel that you were getting ready for battle! Add to that a nice double handled assault rifle style gun and you couldn’t help but feel like a soldier stepping out on to a battlefield. I was grinning ear to ear even before the game started.
The Game itself
In gamer terms it was a fairly standard run of the mil wave shooter with zombies! Not a bad thing but nothing new that you haven’t seen before. However, the all immersive VR and freedom to walk around, crouch, aim lean and scream like a bitch really added a whole new layer of fun! We were in there, fully, completely with nothing breaking the immersion and it felt amazing. Having group chat through the mics meant you could poke fun at each other or call for help. I imagine if we play again, we might be a bit more tactical and use commands to net higher scores but for a first go we just had fun slagging each other off! Definitely a great game to play with friends.
As mentioned, the game was nothing special. Most zombies looked the same with only a few character models and most areas we entered were quite confined so you always knew roughly where the zombies were going to come from but these gripes are tiny compared to the fun on offer here. None of these things matter when you’re head-shotting zombies over your mates shoulder or slapping the butt of the gun to reload as fast as you can while a bloated zombie tries to rush into you. The adrenaline is pumping regardless of graphics and each short scenario we found ourselves in was exciting and definitely had plenty of replay value.
Bullet Time
The only complaint I have is also a complement. You only get 30 mins and because you’re having so much fun, this time just breezes by. It feels like 5 mins and you’re left wanting more. Not a terrible thing but I do wish they offered a longer option. At €39 per player, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to expect a session to last perhaps 45 mins. I think this would be the sweet spot but to be honest, I’d be willing to pay more for an hour long session. Zombie was only one of the games on offer so maybe even a combo special for groups would be a good idea. Just a thought.
Closing Time
After the exhilarating madness was over, we got to cool off in the lounge area and review our stats from the game. A really nice touch and they also email this info to you after the session. We ranked 17th in the country which was a decent achievement considering we only have seven in the group and you are allowed to have eight (more bodies, mean higher body counts!). I would definitely love to go back and try to beat our score.
All in all, this is a great yet slightly short experience that I would recommend to any gamers, anyone who’s curious about Vr and anyone who likes fun…..and who doesn’t like fun right?!
So get your butt to Sandyford, strap on your gear and enter the world of Zero Latency…..you’d be a fool not to!
****Update**** You can now have an hour long session for €49 per person which is a brilliant deal!
Go check them out: https://m.zerolatencyvr.ie
www.geekgasm.org 